'The writing is on the wall. Why can't they read it?': Teens aren't getting the Covid-19 vaccine even at clinics meant for them - CNN

The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is available for people 12 years and older, but teens remain the least vaccinated of any eligible age group in the United States.

"I think there's still this leftover feeling that this is a pandemic of the elderly, which it is not any more," said Ratner, who is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases.

"It is crucial that everyone get vaccinated so we could beat this Covid pandemic," said Sandra Willis, a volunteer with Neighbor2Neighbor who laid out masks and individual hand sanitizer on the giveaway table.

Willis said her granddaughter, an eighth grader, is vaccinated, but several classmates were not, and some got sick.

The letter did not encourage vaccination, although the district's Facebook page has advertised additional student vaccine clinics, as well as free Covid-19 testing and mask distribution events.

Since school reopened, there have been temperature checks before kids get on the bus and regular testing.

Angela Wilborn, the county's school nurse, helped set up for the Vax to School clinic, said said cases seemed to be better controlled, at least for now.

The volunteers quickly stopped chatting.

"Hello," the school nurse said in a friendly voice as a teen in a black track suit, Nike slides over his white socks, walked toward clipboards.

The boy was followed by his family, including his mom, dad and older sister.

"Here you go, sanitize your hands," the school nurse said as they circled around and she she squirted Purell into open palms.

He looked relieved as she put on a Band-Aid and pulled down his sleeve.

"If you don't be feeling right, let me or Miss Angela know," she said as he walked to sit with his family.

And with that, Raymond Slaughter became the first teen to get the vaccine at the Vax to School event.

Raymond agreed -- he shouldn't be the only teen who was there.

He hadn't been out much during the pandemic, he said, and he misses school the way it used to be, before masks and Covid tests.

"I think people should come get it, just to make everybody else safe," the 15-year-old said.

They picked up their hamburgers, to-go snacks and bundles of hand sanitizer, and went on with their Saturday.

The only teen to get the shot

It was another 20 minutes before the door to the vaccine clinic opened again.

"I was hoping we'd get at least 25 people, or 50," said Willis who was eating a box of raisins.

Smith School," Willis said holding her mobile phone up.

Three unused Pfizer vaccines sat on the nurse's table.

Raymond Slaughter, it turned out, was the only teen to get the vaccine at the teen vaccine clinic.

"I don't know why people aren't caring enough to get their young ones vaccinated," Willis said later.

Dr.

Claire Boogaard, the medical director of the Covid-19 Vaccine Program at the Children's National in Washington, DC, said parents and even teens will make a Covid-19 vaccine a priority if they see the threat -- but teens aren't really built that way.

I think a Covid vaccination is going to end up being a routine vaccine for children," Ratner said.

"I would certainly encourage schools to consider it just like we mandate a lot of different vaccines to go to school."

But even without a mandate, Neighbor2Neighbor's Willis hopes people will take Covid-19 seriously and get everyone who can vaccinated.

"Too many people are dying.

It's not just older people, but younger people who have not been vaccinated," Willis said.